By Mike McGraw
Executive Director
MONTICELLO – Let’s review some of the definitions of a great basketball team. First, a great basketball team can play at less than its best and still beat a good opponent. Secondly, a great basketball team always has multiple weapons. Thirdly, a great basketball team can force you to play its style, or beat you playing yours.
I respectfully submit, then, that Twin Lakes has a great girls basketball team. The Class 2A second-ranked Indians will enter the new year undefeated after triumphing over arguably the state’s strongest holiday field in their own invitational Dec. 27-28.
Twin Lakes captured the crown with three victories in two days, including a hard-fought 44-41 win Thursday over 4A No. 5 Hamilton Southeastern in the semifinals. The Indians (13-0) came back Friday evening to topple a solid Logansport squad 52-43 in an effective, if not artistic, championship effort. The Indians are emerging as a legitimate contender in 3A and they are doing it, if you will, by definition.
Taking the court for the championship game just six hours after their highly anticipated – and emotionally draining – clash with Hamilton Southeastern (10-2), the Indians quickly passed the first definition test against the Berries. Tired legs slowed their fearsome running game, a lack of attention to detail led to many early turnovers, and Logansport’s zone defense that was packed in tighter than a school cafeteria worker’s hair bun stopped the penetration of star player Betsy Adams.
Still, the Indians led at the end of one quarter, 9-7. It was in large part due to the fact that they passed the second definition: multiple weapons. With Adams frustrated by Logansport’s defense, guard Laura Ward took charge by dropping two field goals late in the quarter from the outside.
The tempo was clearly in Logansport’s favor, but the scoreboard read for Twin Lakes (see the third definition).
Midway through the second quarter, the hosts connected on back-to-back 3-pointers to take a 19-13 lead. Twin Lakes took the opportunity to spread the court and bring Logansport (8-4) out of the zone. Although they succeeded, the Indians failed to take advantage and led only 21-16 at the half.
Perhaps most disturbing for the hometown fans was that Adams had been held to only five points in the first 16 minutes. How big an accomplishment was this for the Berries? Consider that Thursday evening, the prolific Twin Lakes guard had dropped a tidy 45 on Western in a 73-47 victory.
And yes, I said 45.
The third quarter was the deciding time in this one. After Logansport scored to cut the lead to three, Twin Lakes went on a 12-0 run to blow it open. And the Indians did so despite the continued lack of scoring from Adams.
No, this run was fueled by yet another of the Indians multiple weapons, 6-foot post player Emileah Manihan. Manahan scored six points during the stretch and was a one-woman wrecking crew on the boards.
Despite the efforts of Logansport to close the gap, when Adams hit a two-thirds-court bomb at the end of the quarter, Twin Lakes took a 36-24 cushion into the final period.
The Berries would get no closer than seven. Adams and Ward controlled the action with their deft ballhandling, and Ward canned five of six free throws down the stretch to ice the contest.
Let’s review, shall we?
Twin Lakes was not at its best and still defeated an opponent that was coming off a victory over Indianapolis Cathedral. The Indians’ leading scorer was held to eight points through three quarters, yet they were in control going into the fourth. They played the game at Logansport’s tempo and won comfortably.
I repeat: This is a great basketball team.
In spite of her troubles, Adams led Twin Lakes in scoring with 15 points, seven of them coming in the fourth quarter to keep the Berries at bay. Manahan added 11 points, and Ward chipped in a very valuable 10.
(I spoke with that Twin Lakes trio after the game. Be looking for the video in the next couple of days!)
Logansport was led by the 17 points of Jasmine Penny.
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